The experimental unit in the orthopaedic surgical research group is doing research on entirely new treatment methods which have not yet been approved for use on humans. The primary research areas are improvement of joint prostheses, bone healing, and cartilage research. This includes research on surgical methods, implant surfaces, wear particles, growth factors, stem cells, and gene therapeutic methods.

The unit has its base in the Orthopaedic Surgical Research Lab at Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade. The researh lab contains biomechanical test facilities, a hard tissue lab, an image diagnostic unit with micro-CT scanners and a QCT scanner, a first class cell lab for the handling of gene-modified material, and a new confical microscopy unit.

The experimental unit cooperates widely with other public institutions and private companies nationally and internationally.

Part of the unit's research is experimental. The unit researches into treatment methods which have shown to be promising in lab experiments and on cell cultures but which have not yet been proved safe or effective for use on humans.

The experimantal researh takes place at the Clinical Institute at Skejby Hospital. All of the experimental research projects performed by the group are approved by the Danish Ministry of Justice and are managed by a researcher with a special permission to undertake this sort of research.

Stem Cells

A growing part of the unit's research is concentrated on the research on stem cells. In order to develop new treatment methods for a various number of illnesses in joints and muscles, research is done into how stem cells are used to regenerate for instance cartilage and bone or how stem cells respond to new implants.

The stem cell research takes place at Laboratorium for Molekylær Ortopædi (Lab for Molecular Orthopaedics), Aarhus University Hospital. The lab has a modern, first class gene technology cell culture lab, molecular biological techniques (among others Real-time PCR) and advanced microscopy methods (among others confocal microscopy). In cooperation with iNANO (Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center at the University of Aarhus and Aalborg University) the lab commands high resolution scanning electron equipment and nano-indentation equipment.